


The Course of Reason

by Infie



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Civil War Team Iron Man, Gen, Not A Fix-It, Not Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie) Compliant, Post-Captain America: Civil War (Movie), Team Iron Man, Team consequences
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-05
Updated: 2018-05-05
Packaged: 2019-05-02 06:16:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,701
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14538489
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Infie/pseuds/Infie
Summary: The UN has asked Tony to discuss their options with the Fugitive Avengers.  It does not go the way they expect it to.





	The Course of Reason

**Author's Note:**

> This is entirely non-compliant with Infinity War (which I haven't seen so no spoilers please). I view this as the way the fugitive stuff should have shaken out.

Carol really didn’t know what to expect from this meeting. She’d read the dossiers on all of the ‘Fugitive Avengers’, and she’d known Rhodes for years, but she had the feeling that putting them all together with Tony Stark and King T’Challa in one place after everything that had happened two years ago was kind of like mixing gasoline and firecrackers. 

Explosive and frankly pretty stupid. 

But the UN wanted everyone’s full focus on the looming threat that was Thanos, and that meant tying up the loose ends that the fugitives represented. If they were willing to be brought back into the fold so much the better in the minds of the Accords council. If they weren’t, well, at least they could say that they’d tried, and maybe that would be enough to get everyone pointed in the same direction for a change. That focus was desperately needed. Even with Tony’s overwhelming paranoia over the last few years and the resulting set of suits that Tony called the ‘Iron Legion’ (and that she and Rhodes gleefully corrected to the ‘Iron Battalion’), and with the help of the remaining Asgardians, they were still woefully underprepared. 

When she entered the conference room at King T’Challa’s palace, Natasha Romanoff was already waiting. As Carol took her seat the door behind Romanoff opened and several of the other fugitives came through, taking up the chairs around Romanoff’s side of the table. Wanda Maximoff, Clint Barton, and Sam Wilson, she catalogued automatically. The last man took her a moment longer to place, and then it clicked – Scott Lang. 

The two doors opened again simultaneously, and Steve Rogers entered behind Romanoff. A quick look over her shoulder showed her that the other newcomer was Rhodes, who made his way to the table with a barely noticeable hitch in his stride and a soft whir of gears and hydraulics. They sat in unison. 

None of them looked happy to be here. 

Instead each face was a mixture of stubborn pride, trepidation, and banked hostility in different ratios. She imagined her own expression was probably pretty similar and carefully smoothed it out into what she mentally called ‘parade indifference’ and Rhodes called a pretty decent poker face. 

"I’m glad we’re all early," Rhodes finally said, breaking the silence with an assurance that Carol wasn’t sure she could have matched with the tension so high in the room. "It gives me a chance to introduce Colonel Carol Danvers to you all. Colonel Danvers is a signatory of the Accords and a full Avengers member. She is the Avengers team leader." He shot her a quick grin. "By unanimous vote." He waved at each of the fugitives as he gave their names and she nodded politely at each one. 

"Must have been a short vote," Barton muttered spitefully. 

"Oh, I don’t know about that," Carol smiled at him, showing all her teeth. "It took us a whole pizza to finish the arm wrestling portion of the contest." 

"How long will we have to wait?" Maximoff was slouching in her chair, studying her fingernails. She looked like a sulking teenager and Carol suddenly understood why Rogers kept insisting that she was a child despite her age. 

"Tony will be here on time," Rhodes said. "I want you all to know that this meeting is being recorded." He pointed to the large, obvious camera in the upper corner of the room. The red light was blinking hypnotically. "Do you have any general questions before he gets here?" His voice was even and if it wasn’t for the clench of his fingers against his thigh she would have thought him completely neutral. 

"We’re here to get our pardons and go home," Barton said, sounding bored. "What’s there to ask about, except for maybe when’s the flight?" 

Carol bit her lip. Rhodes opened his mouth to snap a response but the click of the door interrupted him. Carol turned to look, and Tony strode into the room radiating confidence. His shoulders were straight despite the fact that he was carrying two briefcases, one of which she assumed was the armour. He set them down beside his chair and glanced around the room, eyebrows twitching slightly as his eyes passed over the corner of the room closest to Carol’s chair. Reflexively she looked, but it was empty. When she looked back, Tony had already seated himself and pulled out a water bottle. The skin around his eyes looked tight with stress; overall he just looked tired. 

"All right," Tony clapped his hands together. "I’m on a schedule, so let’s keep this on point, yeah? Before -" 

"Oh please. You know you’re here for as long as it takes to convince us to come back, Tony," Barton interrupted, slouching back in his chair. "You wouldn’t be here at all unless you needed us, so let’s not pretend otherwise." 

Carol frowned at him. "I didn’t get to say it before, but for the record, that’s ridiculous." 

Tony shook his head. "I’m here because the UN asked me – nicely, I might add – to be the one to tell to you all what your situations are. Apparently they’re under the mistaken impression that I’m somehow an adult. Whatever – I can manage to be one for this meeting anyway." He sighed and straightened. "As a result of your actions, you each have consequences and options available to you." He raked his eyes over them all, meeting the hardening of Rogers’s steady gaze with the same equanimity as the eyerolls and annoyed mutters of the others. Carol had to admit, Steve Rogers had one hell of a stinkeye. "One of those options is to have this discussion in private." He looked at them each in turn again. "Do any of you want to do that?" 

Romanoff’s eyes were narrowed as she studied him closely. It didn’t look as though she was happy with whatever it was she was seeing. 

"Anything you say to one of us you can say to all us together," Barton declared. 

"We need to hear from each of you, out loud please," Rhodes said brusquely. "For the record." 

"We all want to hear this together," Rogers said. 

"Yeah," Wilson agreed. "We’re with Steve." 

"That’s a pretty thought," Rhodes retorted crisply, "You'll have to tell me later whether or not you still feel that way." 

"We need to hear from each of you individually," Carol interjected before anyone else could. "… Please," she added as an afterthought. 

In turn, Maximoff, Barton, Rogers, Wilson, Lang, and Romanoff stated that they wanted to hear everything as a group. Carol nodded as she made a notation of their agreement and the time on her Starkpad. 

"OK." As Tony turned to Lang, the door opened again and King T’Challa stepped into the room, sliding into a seat gracefully. 

He glanced quickly around the table, nodding to each of them in turn. "I apologize for being late," he said. 

Tony shrugged. "We were just getting to it," he said. His attention returned to the group as a whole. "Look, a lot happened to get us all where we are right now, affecting several sovereign countries, the European Union, the UN, the United States, and individuals. There’s no single entity that handles everything, and frankly there’s pretty much no chance that everyone would agree regardless. If you’re thinking that there’s some kind of magical all-encompassing all-nations ‘pardon’, you’re wrong, there is no such thing, and if you’re looking for unicorns go watch My Little Pony. So what you’re going to hear is going to be broken down into those different areas." 

Barton flushed bright red with irritation. Carol lifted an eyebrow at him mockingly. 

"Am I the only one a little disturbed that Stark knows that My Little Pony has unicorns?" Lang wondered quietly. 

Romanoff leaned back a little in her chair, her mouth tightening further. She was starting to get it, though Carol doubted that she had any idea of the scale. There was a lot they didn’t know. 

"Just get to the grovelling already, Stark," Barton pretended to examine his fingernails. "You have a schedule to keep, remember?" 

Tony gestured at Lang, who was smiling sort of smugly at his own joke. "You. First, the sovereign nations and EU. Germany is very upset with you." He smiled thinly. "You are officially barred from entering Germany – or anywhere else in the European Union. Frankly, the fact that no one really knows who you are is the only thing currently saving your ass and keeping Germany from sending a retrieval squad after you, thanks to several billion dollars’ worth of damage you personally caused at the Leipzig Airport. Fortunately for you, the insurance companies have decided that Pym Technologies makes a better target for their lawsuits. Even with that, you’re facing charges in Germany of illegal entry, destruction of property, criminal endangerment, assault and battery, flight from prosecution and escaping prison. I left the part where you tried to kill me by disabling the suit during flight from my report. You’re welcome. Still, Germany is willing to stay the charges except for the property damage. If you return to the US permanently, you won’t be extradited – Germany has agreed to deal with you in absentia." 

Lang looked as though he’d just been hit with a bat. The smile was gone and his face had gone dead white. Rhodes was staring at him murderously – apparently Tony hadn’t mentioned Lang trying to kill him before now, and Rhodes seemed to be considering how to dismember him with the power of his brain. Carol added her own glare to his. 

Lang muttered, "I wasn’t trying to kill him!" 

Tony continued inexorably. "I just said I left that part out… The US has revoked your passport and has issued a warrant for your arrest for your parole violation. Since Pym Technologies is currently using the defense in the lawsuits that their technology was used without their knowledge or permission, the warrant includes additional charges of grand larceny." 

"What… what about the Accords?" Lang swallowed hard, looking at Rogers desperately. 

"Lang…" Tony shook his head slowly and then gentled his tone. "Scott. The UN reviewed your information and the council does not feel that you’re a suitable candidate for the Avengers." 

"Lang held his own against you, War Machine, and Vision," Rogers glared. "How does that not make him a candidate? If it’s because of his past and the whole jail thing…" 

"No," Tony interrupted. "He used stolen technology that he had nothing to do with creating and that does not require specialized skills to operate." He stopped abruptly and focussed his gaze on Lang instead of Rogers. "Pardon me. _You_ used stolen technology. You have no powers, and you have no other specialized skills that translate into qualifying for the Accords. If you want to try and become affiliated with a local group rather than the international one, then go for it. But without the suit – and Pym Technologies has disabled the one you had – I don’t expect it to happen." 

"You said… you said that we had options." Lang’s eyes snapped back to Tony’s face beseechingly. 

Tony kept it brutally short. "You could stay on the run. But you should be aware that staying in Wakanda will be a lot more difficult than it was before. And if I can offer you some advice – if you take that option, stay the fuck away from Germany. And from anyone Germany talks to." 

Lang buried his face in his hands. 

"You are such an asshole," Barton exploded. "None of this would have even happened if it weren’t for you." 

"Oh yeah?" The sudden rage in Tony’s voice caught Carol, and from the way they startled everyone else, by surprise. "I didn’t call him. I didn’t drag him out of state and force him to violate his parole. I didn’t dress him in a suit that he didn’t own, and I certainly didn’t make him destroy more than a billion dollars’ worth of Leipzip Airport. He wasn’t an Avenger, and wasn’t a candidate for the Accords. I’d never even heard of him. Of everyone around this table, he’s the one who had no goddamned reason to even be there." He glared at Lang’s bowed head. "Seriously, what the fuck were you thinking?" 

Rogers’s chin was lifted stubbornly. "We’ll deal with this, Scott, don’t worry." 

"We will make your inclusion a condition of our own," Maximoff agreed, her voice dark. 

Wilson crossed his arms over his chest. Barton sagged back in his seat insolently. Romanoff was holding very, very still. They all looked irritated. 

Carol wanted to slap them all. 

Lang just huddled tighter in on himself. 

Tony sighed and brought his temper back under control. "Hope Van Dyne has retained a lawyer on your behalf," he told Lang quietly. "A good one." Lang nodded once without looking up and Tony shifted to Romanoff. 

"Natasha." 

She tensed visibly, meeting his eyes coldly. 

"I get it, you know. Why you let them go. You told me – Steve wasn’t going to stop." Carol saw Rogers flinch out of the corner of her eye. Tony ignored it. "It’s the same reason that some police forces won’t participate in high speed chases anymore – because the risk to civilian life is too high to support pursuit." 

"Yes," she said. 

"I wish that you’d considered what it meant that you let them go, though. That it meant that both Rogers and Barnes have a world-wide shoot on sight – shoot to kill – order on them, for all US forces." 

"What?" Wilson sat bolt upright. 

"Yeah," Rhodes grinned sharply, all teeth. "Step outside, Rogers. I dare you." 

"We could always work on getting that order rescinded later," Romanoff said smoothly. "Wakanda, on the other hand, needed her King alive." 

T’Challa looked mildly offended. 

"You’re all altruism," Carol muttered. 

"And you pissed off General Ross… who is also Secretary of Defence Ross. Who is known for a lot of things, none of which is his forgiving nature. And he talks to the President every day." Tony sighed again. "Ms Romanoff," Tony said formally, "Your US citizenship has been revoked, and you are no longer welcome in the United States. The UN Council is interested in having you rejoin the Avengers under the Accords, but since you were an original signatory and then aided in the escape of a fugitive, you would be facing punitive action under Section twenty-two point six. If you elected to work with the Avengers, you would be required to do so outside of the USA, where you are currently wanted for treason." 

Romanoff blinked, the only indication of her surprise. Barton hissed in shock and the others reared back. "How were her actions at the airport _treason_?" Wilson demanded. 

"SHIELD was an agency of the US government, under the Department of Defence. When you released all of SHIELD’s files online, you committed treason against the US government," Tony explained quietly. "They haven’t added in any charges yet related to the deaths that came from that decision, but if Ross ever actually reads the summary report that SHIELD prepared on the topic you likely will be." 

"I testified before Congress about that," she said tightly. "There were no charges brought." 

"There’s no actual statute of limitations on treason," Carol said. 

Tony shrugged. "They seem to have collectively either remembered the nineties or gone and watched ‘A Few Good Men’, because your approach of ‘you want me on that wall, you need me on that wall’ isn’t flying the way it used to. If you sign the Accords, the charge of treason will be stayed, but either way you will never legally enter the US again." 

She frowned at him. "If I don’t sign?" 

"If you don’t, then you don’t. You’re facing charges under the Accords and in Germany for aiding the escape of a fugitive, but you have a solid defense with the civilian protection angle. Otherwise you’re free and clear outside of the US. Well, as free and clear as you can be without citizenship anywhere, and avoiding countries with extradition agreements, but you’re resourceful." 

"This is bullshit," Barton growled loudly. 

"I feel exactly the same way," Rhodes shot back. "The fact that we’re here at all is a goddamned joke." 

"Wanda," Tony said, and immediately all eyes were back on him. "I… Hmm." He tapped his fingers against the tabletop for an instant. "I need to apologize to you." The shock on her face almost made Carol laugh, but Tony seemed oblivious to it. "I should have told you that you needed to stay at the Compound because your US visa was in jeopardy. I should have told you that we were concerned that you could be attacked and that you might be forced to defend yourself, which would have resulted in more injured civilians and the end of your visa in the USA. I thought that you knew enough about what had happened to know why you should stay in for a while, but I didn’t take the time to discuss it with you and I should have. I realize that lack of context contributed to your belief that you were imprisoned at the Compound. You didn’t know what was going on, and you didn’t know that it was temporary. I’m sorry." 

Maximoff was speechless. 

"None of that excuses your actions," Rhodes interjected. "Violence isn’t actually one of your options outside of a sanctioned operation, you know that, right? Physically attacking someone who was trying to protect you is flat out wrong no matter what you did or didn’t know. You attacked Vision physically when he had taken no actions at all against you, you did hundreds of thousands of dollars of damage to the Compound, and at Leipzig Airport you outright tried to kill Tony." 

She flushed angrily. 

"Seriously," Rhodes shook his finger at her, then at all of them including Tony and T’Challa. "You people need to learn to use your damned words." Carol was not in the least surprised when his finger stopped on Rogers. "Punching something is not a first resort!" 

"Ms Maximoff. You are barred from entry in Germany and are not welcome anywhere in the European Union," Tony told her evenly. "Should you attempt to enter the EU, you will be facing charges relating to the destruction of Leipzig Airport, illegal entry, attempted murder, and escaping custody." He took a deep breath. "The UN considers you a strong candidate for the Avengers, and should you elect to sign the Accords, Germany has agreed to drop the criminal charges against you as a gesture of good faith. Should you join the Avengers, you would still not be permitted to enter the EU. Also regardless of your decision on signing the Accords, your US visa has been revoked. While you aren’t precisely barred from entering the US, if you do you will be facing charges of assault and battery and destruction of property." 

Wilson frowned. "Attempted murder?" 

"She dropped a tower of cars on Tony’s head," Rhodes told him. "Unlike Lang here, she was caught on video. Plus, again unlike Lang here, I’m pretty sure she was in fact trying to kill him." 

Barton shook his head, muttering, "Jesus fucking Christ." Maximoff just smirked the tiniest bit. Carol gritted her teeth to avoid saying anything. 

"Further, since Sokovia has petitioned the European Union for membership, you also will not be able to return there. If you choose not to sign the Accords, then Germany will retain the criminal charges, and you will be subject to an international warrant and extradition." 

The smirk fled. "I am not going to prison," Maximoff declared furiously. Her eyes glinted red. 

"Then you should sign the Accords," Tony told her calmly. He moved on to Wilson, apparently ignoring the way that Maximoff’s hands glittered as they flexed against the tabletop. Rogers reached across Barton to give her hand a supportive squeeze. 

"Sam." Tony’s lips quirked into a tiny smile that Wilson didn’t return. Tony seemed unfazed. 

"Let me guess," Wilson said stolidly. "I’m not welcome in Germany." 

"You have charges pending in Bucharest for obstruction of police, aiding a fugitive, destruction of property, reckless endangerment, escape from custody, and flight from prosecution. In Germany, you’re facing destruction of property, flight from prosecution, grand larceny, and aiding terrorist activities, and in both countries illegal entry." 

Wilson’s eyes flicked to Rhodes. "Not attempted murder?" 

Tony shifted in his seat, and Rhodes straightened his shoulders. Carol spoke up. "Wilson… What happened to Colonel Rhodes was not your fault." 

"If I hadn’t…" 

"You moved to evade a shot," Rhodes said clearly. "That’s what you should do when someone is shooting at you. It’s not your fault that I was on the other side of you and got hit instead. It’s not Vision’s fault that I got hit either. It just is. Shit happens." 

Wilson looked away, his eyes suspiciously shiny. 

"No. The charges do not include attempted murder, nor should they." Tony continued after a moment. "After reviewing your information, the Accords council considers you a good candidate for the Accords, since you have experience with the Falcon wings and since your previous service as an Avenger was satisfactory. Since you were only minimally involved in the destruction of Liepzig airport, the German government is willing to drop the charges relating to destruction of property if you’re willing to sign the Accords." 

Wilson nodded curtly. "So, signing the Accords makes all the European charges go away?" 

Tony shook his head. "No. Your chance to have the Romanian charges dropped by signing the Accords was gone when Steve refused the deal in Bucharest. Of course, compounding the problem by leaving custody when the Winter Soldier broke out didn’t help." 

"It took a lot of discussion to convince Germany to bend on their charges," Rhodes contributed. "The subsequent jailbreak after your capture in Germany really pissed them off." 

"Pissed _them_ off?" Barton banged his fist on the table. "How about how their illegal incarceration pissed _us_ off?" 

Tony shook his head and looked as if he was going to ignore the interruption, but Rhodes put his hand on his arm to forestall him. "Oh, I wanna hear this." 

"Me too," Carol leaned back a little in her chair. "This should be fascinating. Tell us about your illegal incarceration, Mr Barton." 

Barton narrowed his eyes at her but didn’t entirely rise to the bait. "After we were grabbed at Leipzig, we were thrown in prison without a trial, without seeing a lawyer. We were in the process of being fucking _disappeared_ when we broke out." 

Rhodes laughed out loud, making everyone jump. "No you weren’t," he said. "You were part of a group of enhanced people who destroyed an airport while aiding the escape of an internationally wanted terrorist, who had already broken out of a secure facility. When Steve and Sam were originally picked up in Bucharest, they were treated like goddamned royalty and they spat all over that by escaping custody there and hurting people doing it. After Leipzig you were arrested, Barton! Of course you were put in jail – a jail that could hope to hold enhanced individuals – prior to arraignment on your charges. And arraignment takes some time to get to. We were working on bringing over some lawyers experienced in international law." He laughed again. "You’ve actually _seen TV_ , right? You do know that arrested people go to jail? They don’t just read you your rights and then release you again because you’re totally nice enough to come back for trial?" 

"Bucky is not an international terrorist!" Rogers’s hands clenched in front of him. His knuckles stood out starkly against the tanned skin of his fingers and Carol could almost hear the bones in his hands creak. 

Tony’s jaw tightened and again he shook his head rather than reply. 

"In other words, Mr Barton, you weren’t being ‘disappeared’, although since the Raft was built by SHIELD I suppose you can be forgiven for thinking otherwise." Carol set her clasped hands on the table in front of her. 

"You didn’t see…" Barton started hotly. 

Tony interrupted. "We’re getting off track." 

Lang leaned over. "What did you mean, when you said that Steve turned down the deal in Bucharest? What deal?" 

Tony frowned. 

Rhodes leaned back in his chair, lips tugging into a smirk. "Did Steve not tell you about that?" 

"Rhodey," Tony murmured quietly and Rhodes subsided. He turned to Lang. "In the interests of ‘using my words’," he shot a sideways glance at Rhodes, who inclined his head in acknowledgement, "when Steve, Sam and Barnes were apprehended in Bucharest, there was an offer made to forgive all charges and provide mental health assistance for Barnes in exchange for signing the Accords. Steve refused the deal, they all escaped custody, and we reconvened at Leipzig airport." 

"What?" Lang whispered, his face dead white. He turned to Wilson. "You guys had the option of being forgiven for Bucharest, and for getting Bucky help to recover from his time with Hydra, and _you didn’t take it_?" 

"They wanted to kill Bucky," Rogers replied in a tone that meant that he was barely holding on to his temper. "They sent a helicopter with a chain gun after him in Bucharest, and they didn’t care who else they hit, either." He lifted his head and Carol felt a little burst of adrenaline at the fury in his eyes. 

"I feel I must point out that it wasn’t some nebulous ‘them’ that actually had Barnes in Bucharest when you refused the deal," Rhodes said calmly. "It was us." 

"And you did a great job protecting him, didn’t you?" Rogers gritted out. "Considering that he was triggered by the psychiatrist that you brought in to assess him." 

"Off track," Tony singsonged, rapping the table. He spoke to Lang, "yes, they had the option – before the Winter Soldier was triggered and escaped – and yes, they refused it." 

Wilson was shaking his head. "To be fair," he said, "I wasn’t offered anything and I didn’t refuse anything." 

Tony turned to look at him, an arrested expression on his face. "That’s true," he said slowly. "I spoke to Steve, not to you." 

"I was considering it," Rogers added, "Until I learned that Wanda was… ‘Confined’ was your word, Tony… at the Compound." 

"I would have liked the opportunity to consider it myself," Wilson said quietly. "You know I’m with you, Steve, whichever way you jump, but it should still have been brought to me too." 

Tony nodded brusquely. "I agree, and I’m trying to do better, actually, which is why everyone is here and everyone is required to answer for themselves." 

Lang was still shaking his head. "You could have resolved it all before you even called me. You didn’t even have to call me." 

"Hey, at least they _did_ call us," Barton snapped. "Unlike Stark, here, who figures we’re beneath notice or something." 

The tension in the room ratcheted up and Carol saw Rhodes tense. 

"Is that what this has been about?" For the first time since he’d arrived, Tony looked as though he was fully _present_. "Seriously? You’re pissed because I didn’t call you?" His face was a mask of incredulity. 

"Of course you didn’t call me. I’m a washed up farmer and I didn’t want to sign your precious Accords, right?" Barton’s fists were tight, his voice bitter. 

"I didn’t call you because you were _out_ , you dumb fuck!" Tony exploded out of his seat, raking his hands through his hair. He paced a couple of steps before rounding back on Barton. "You really don’t get it, do you? You had it! The brass ring was in your hands! You spent most of your life in a dangerous job, you faced a goddamned alien invasion and killer robots, and at the end of a glorious career you actually managed to retire and get to go home to your family! There was nothing on this earth that could have made me call you. I called a fucking fifteen-year old kid before I called you! I would have gone alone dressed in nothing but a toga and a leopard skin thong before I would have called you!" He slumped back into his seat and stared into Barton’s astonished face intently. "You have three little kids, Clint. I would die before I’d take their father from them." _'Like mine was taken from me'_ was unsaid but Carol was sure they all heard it anyway. 

Rogers flinched. 

"But hey – you got called, and you answered, and I don’t blame you for that," Tony continued remorselessly. "But when you did that – when you showed up and took Wanda out of the Compound, when you hurt Vision and you went to Leipzig and you helped an internationally wanted terrorist escape custody, you took that life of service, that legacy and you destroyed it. You’re a smart man, and you knew that it was all illegal, and you went and you did it anyway, and that’s why you’re where you are. _You_ took your kids’ father from them. And you’re pissed at me because I didn’t call you? I think that you should be fucking livid at them that _they did_." 

Barton just stared at him silently. 

"So, Mr Barton." Carol said carefully, mindful of the tension in the room and trying to get back to a calmer footing. "After review of your actions at Leipzig airport, Germany has elected to vacate the charges against you for property damage, since your contribution was minor compared to that of Scarlet Witch and Ant Man. You still face charges of assisting the escape of a fugitive, flight from prosecution, escape from custody, assault and illegal entry from your time there, and you are no longer permitted within the EU. The Accords council has chosen to respect your wish to retire and does not currently consider you a candidate for the Accords. Germany has indicated that if you return to the US they will not pursue extradition, as long as you never attempt to enter the EU. If you choose to return to the US, you will be facing charges of domestic terrorism and property damage for the bomb you set off at the Compound, and assault for the attack on Vision." 

"Vision is willing to request that the charges of assault be dropped," Rhodes said quietly, "if that helps bring you home to your family." 

Barton covered his eyes with his hand. 

Wilson took a deep breath. "So, if the Romanian charges are still in place for me, what does that mean?" 

"No more Europe for you," Tony told him. "They’re waiving extradition if you sign the Accords and return to the US, but trying you in absentia is as far as they’re willing to go. If you choose not to sign the Accords, then there’s no going home." 

Wilson asked, "But if we have to, we can return to Wakanda, right?" 

All eyes turned to T’Challa, who shook his head. "I’m afraid not," he said solemnly. "I, too, have had my circumstances explained in great detail. Wakanda no longer has the option of hiding from the world, and because of that we can no longer hide you, either. Wakanda is a signatory of the Accords, and I personally have signed as a candidate Avenger. I cannot in good conscience flout their principles while holding others to their oaths." 

"Ok, Tony, this has gone far enough." Rogers pushed his chair away from the table and stood. Tony just tilted his head politely. "I understand that you wanted to make a point here, and that you wanted us to feel like you’re doing us a favour by bringing us home, but threatening the King of Wakanda? We know that you’re here because the world needs us back. We know that you’ll do whatever you have to do to get us back. All of this? This is just a show. Can you get to the real offers now?" 

"Please, Steve, sit down," T’Challa gestured gracefully. Grudgingly Rogers complied. "I did not say that I was threatened. I have, however, been informed of a new threat, one that has proven many of the things that I believed to be true a lie. One of those beliefs was that Wakanda was unassailable; it is not." 

"A new threat! So you do need us." Maximoff smiled triumphantly. 

"I’m afraid not," T’Challa said again. "But I do believe it is fair to say that we all desire to have any distractions out of the way. I do understand you hadn’t intended to broach this subject today, Doctor Stark, but perhaps we should do so nonetheless." 

"It’s Tony, T’Challa." Tony sighed and scrubbed his hands through his hair. "Ok, fine. Wanda, you remember that image you showed me back in the Hydra base in Sokovia? Would you be able to share that with everyone?" 

Carol frowned and saw it echoed on the other faces around her. Only Tony remained serene. 

"No," Maximoff said sweetly. 

"Allow me." The voice, male with a clipped British accent, took them by surprise and they jumped; all but Tony. They turned in unison to face the corner of the room where a bald, older man sat comfortably in a wheelchair with a calming smile on his face. "I am Doctor Charles Xavier, though you may call me Professor, and I apologize for startling you. I arrived late and chose not to interrupt the proceedings. I hope you don’t mind." Carol felt her irritation wane and his smile widened as they all relaxed and no one objected, although Maximoff continued to eye him suspiciously. "Now," he turned the smile on Tony. "I believe that you wanted everyone to be shown something?" 

Tony visibly steeled himself. "Yeah," he said. "Do it." 

An instant later, Carol was awash in terror. Her stomach lurched and it was all she could do not to scream with it. Her gorge rose and she almost vomited. Her mind gibbered at her in a base panic. She could just barely make out Tony’s voice over the horror in her brain. 

"Jesus, Charles, dial it back a little." 

The fear subsided. 

She was in space, staring at a vast armada of ships. Thousands upon thousands of ships, as far as her eye could make sense of. There were Leviathan-class Chitauri assault ships moving towards her gracefully, their pinpoint size providing a gauge for the stupendous size of the ships following them. An eye-searing flash of light flared within the nearest… carrier? She wasn’t sure what nomenclature to use for them. She closed her eyes against the light, suddenly overcome with vertigo. She couldn’t… she couldn’t catch her breath. Why couldn’t she breathe? She forced her eyes back open to see the remainder of that massive fleet; a single ship loss nothing against those incalculable numbers… 

She took a deep whoop of air, suddenly back in the conference room, hearing the others cough and gasp as well. Tony was wagging an admonishing finger at Professor Xavier, who looked completely unrepentant. "You asked for them to share your experience in the Hydra bunker," he said, "At least I stopped with the wormhole." 

The others were still heaving, and Carol saw with private glee that Lang was still swallowing hard, clearly fighting nausea. "Was that really necessary?" Rogers bit out. 

"It was Tony’s memory." Charles lifted an eyebrow at the growl he got in return. "And I did mute the emotions before passing them on. To be fair, his original experience was significantly worse." 

Good God. That had been _muted_? And he’d had to relive it in that Hydra bunker? Carol found herself glaring at Maximoff, whose face was hidden by her hair. 

Tony gestured silently, and abruptly an image of that terrifying fleet of ships popped into existence above the table. They all leaned back from it as one, except T’Challa who craned his neck for a better look. "Fascinating," he said. "You are achieving this effect without technology." 

"Indeed I am, Your Highness," was all that Professor Xavier said. 

"This is what I saw through the wormhole," Tony said, waving at the image. "This is what I’ve been working towards preparing for since the day the Chitauri attacked us. This is what led me to consider a solution like Ultron. And this, it turns out, is only a small part of the problem." He nodded at Professor Xavier, and the image changed to show an even greater fleet, with the uncountable Chitauri ships a mere fraction of the total. "This is what we currently have heading for Earth." 

"Oh my God," Barton whispered. The others echoed him, horror etched on every face. 

"How much time?" Rogers snapped out. "How long do we have? What do they want? Jesus, Tony. Why are we spending this time on the Accords? We should be planning for what we’re going to do." 

"Maybe a year, maybe less. They want to sacrifice the lives on Earth as an offering to Lady Death. Because I want the distractions gone. We are planning. We’re just not planning with you." 

Rogers was out of his chair and pacing. "How do we fit in?" He stopped and looked Tony in the eye. "How do we help?" 

Tony laughed. "God, you know, three years ago it would have made me so happy to hear you ask that. Even two years ago, when we were caught up in your boyfriend drama, I would have been ecstatic." His face hardened. "But then, after everything, I remembered that fundamentally I’m a numbers guy. And I ran the numbers." 

He tossed a Starkpad onto the table, flicked his fingers and the wormhole disappeared, replaced by a set of projected holographic charts. "Here." He prodded one of them and a graph expanded to show a set of lines in various colours. Romanoff stood and leaned close to see better. At her movement the rest of them crowded around. Carol knew them all by heart and stayed in her seat. 

"This is a graph of the approximate Chitauri casualties dealt by each Avenger during the Battle of New York," he said, firmly in lecture mode. "This line," he poked a black line near the bottom, "is Black Widow, who accounted for roughly one hundred eighteen Chitauri. This line," a purple one this time, "Is Hawkeye, with about the same, though the exploding arrows gave him an advantage in the fighting. Captain America is in the same area, with another hundred to hundred twenty." He traced a finger along the bright blue before tapping a white line. "Thor, with three hundred that we can account to just him, and Hulk, here, with about a hundred solo and two leviathans, one with Thor, that brings their joint total to about seven hundred between the two of them. And finally," his finger brought the final line, bright red, into focus. "Iron Man, with four thousand, plus a leviathan, not including the mothership or Chitauri deaths after the wormhole closed. With those, Iron Man has an enemy casualty count of well over fifty thousand." 

Everyone was speechless, and Tony didn’t wait to find out if silence would get someone talking. 

"Ultron," he said, and flicked that graph into focus. "Black Widow, Hawkeye, Hulk, and Captain America all under fifty. Thor, one hundred. Scarlet Witch, two hundred. Iron Man, two hundred. Vision, fifty. Now, this was a completely different kind of fight than the Chitauri were; there were significantly fewer androids and it was contained in a smaller area. But it’s important to note that in both cases, it _was_ a highly contained area. Now," another gesture and the graphs merged and expanded, the lines sliding to the side as the graphic grew. More lines in additional colours appeared; some arcing high and others remaining low. "We projected the maximum useful battle capabilities of each of the original Avengers lineup, along with everyone else who could possibly qualify as enhanced or even enhance-able, and what we found was that we can’t afford to fight this war on the ground." He took a sip of his water. 

Rhodes picked it up. "This guy who’s coming, he doesn’t want to take over like the Chitauri did. He wants us all dead. And let’s be clear – he can accomplish that from well beyond orbit. The only thing we have going for us here is that he wants the sacrifice for Lady Death to be served bloody, and that means he intends to close with the planet." 

"And that fleet –" Tony stabbed a finger at the air and obligingly Professor Xavier restored the image, "is going to be parked above every part of sky we’ve got. No choke points, no wormholes. Having hand-to-hand fighters, even excellent ones, is going to be useless against that. We need real heavy hitters – mutants like Eric Lensherr, or magic users like Stephen Strange. We need fliers like Colonel Danvers , we need ships, we need space-capable craft that are able to engage outside of the orbital envelope. We need interceptors that can operate while landing craft are vulnerable during descent. We need adamantium and vibranium to reinforce those ships, which is why," he turned a mildly apologetic look on T’Challa, who waved it away, "Stark Industries developed a way to synthesize both elements and is currently generating roughly ten tonnes of each per day. It’s still not nearly enough for what we need, but we’re continuing to expand production..." He snapped his fingers and hefted one of the suitcases onto the table with a small grunt. "That reminds me, here’s your vibranium. My dad either stole it or bought it from someone who did; either way I’m giving it back." 

Carol saw Rogers’s eyes snap to the case hungrily, only to have the hope fade when he realized the case wasn’t large enough to hold the Captain America shield. At least, not in one piece. 

"Wakanda will be providing all assistance possible," T’Challa stated smoothly, pushing the case back to him, "of both resources and technology. When it comes to the second I believe that you will be pleasantly surprised." His expression turned sour. "As I was not upon seeing the price of vibranium on the market this morning. Keep the case. " 

Tony nodded and shoved the case back under the table. "The UN still wants the Avengers," he turned his attention back to the ring of people around the table. "That’s why I’m here. But it’s not because we’re over a barrel." He winced, then corrected, "Or at least, not over that particular one." He sat down, and slowly the rest of them followed suit. The holograph and Professor Xavier’s projection winked out. 

"If you knew that you were going to need the Scarlet Witch, how could you ever allow her to be put into that… device in the Raft?" Barton’s eyes were bright with fury and dismay, and he looked as though he was being torn apart. "I don’t understand this at all." 

Professor Xavier coughed delicately. "I’m afraid that was my doing," he admitted quietly. As one the fugitives turned accusing eyes on him. Maximoff’s fingers glittered red. "That’s enough of that." His voice hardened and he gave a subtle gesture. The ruby mist around her hands snuffed out and she hissed in rage. "While I do not share Mr Rogers’ perception of you as a child, I am capable of treating you like one if you continue to refuse to show basic courtesy, Ms Maximoff. I deal with actual teenagers every day and I assure you I am more than capable of handling tantrums." 

"Why?" Wilson was looking at Professor Xavier a lot more warily now. They all were, Carol realized, and smiled private amusement. 

"Why did I suggest that Ms Maximoff’s power be curtailed while in custody after she took part in the complete devastation of an airport in aid of the escape of an internationally wanted terrorist? Why did I suggest that her hands be bound to prevent her from removing the device that accomplished that?" Professor Xavier lifted an eyebrow. "Are you sure that is the question you wish to ask? It seems a rather obvious answer to me." 

"It was barbaric," Wilson insisted. "That collar was shocking her. She was in a damned straightjacket!" 

Professor Xavier shifted a little in his chair but the steadiness of his gaze never wavered. "Ms Maximoff was hurting herself by fighting her original zipcuffs, and the padded restraint of a straightjacket is much gentler. We could, I suppose, have simply sedated her for as long as she was incarcerated, but I felt that was the worse option. In point of fact if Ms Maximoff had simply ceased trying to escape her lawful incarceration, the device would have ceased attempting to stop her." 

Wilson subsided. 

"Tony," Barton asked abruptly, breaking the silence that had fallen over everyone. "What else happened two years ago?" 

Tony tensed. "What?" 

"You said, two years ago, after everything happened, you ran the numbers. What was it that happened?" The hostility was gone from Barton’s eyes, replaced by curiosity and something more complicated. 

"You know what happened," Tony answered him flatly. 

"I’m not sure I do." Barton tilted his head, eying Tony closely. "An awful lot happened without my eyes on it, and I’m starting to think I need to be looking a bit more closely at all of that." He turned to Rogers. "I think I need to be asking some questions about that ‘everything’. Like, why did you guys really call me to come to Leipzig? I mean, I got the breaking Wanda out of the Compound part, but why did you call us to Germany?" 

"We knew that Ross was going to try and bring us back in," Rogers replied slowly. "We couldn’t let him get his hands on Bucky." 

"So it wasn’t to do with the Accords. It was to help Bucky escape custody." Barton took a deep breath and blew it out loudly. "God, I was stupid." 

"It was to do with the Accords," Rogers replied stubbornly. "The Accords were what was forcing Tony to go after Bucky in the first place." 

"The explosion in Vienna was why the Avengers were asked to bring in the Winter Soldier," Carol corrected him. "And the Winter Soldier was wanted for an awful lot more than that. Helping him escape had nothing to do with the Accords. If it had, you would have taken the deal to help him in Bucharest." 

"Oh my God." Rhodes said loudly. "Oh. My. God." He turned to Tony, his face a rictus of stunned disbelief. "It never had anything to do with the Accords." His eyes moved to Rogers, accusingly this time. "Motherfucker." 

"What is happening?" Lang asked, voicing Carol’s confusion. 

"It was never about the Accords!" Rhodes’s hands were shaking where he planted them against the edge of the table, the skin over his knuckles grey with the pressure. "None of it. It was all about Bucky, right back to the very beginning. Right back to those fucking helicarriers and Insight." 

Rogers’s eyes were closed, his face stone. Tony just sighed. 

"I never bought into that ‘Captain America’ crap," Rhodes said savagely, voice distorted with rage, "but you are not the man I thought you were. You’re not even the man I thought you were ten minutes ago. Jesus Christ." 

Wilson was looking back and forth between Rogers, Tony, and Rhodes uneasily. The others had all shifted subtly back from the table. "How about you fill the rest of us in?" he said. 

"When did you know?" Rhodes demanded instead, staring at Tony fiercely. 

"Right about when I recognized the road in the video," Tony replied woodenly. "I thought it was weird at the time, that no one called me during the whole Insight mess. I understood that it was SHIELD work, but it was also computers and the helicarriers, and even if Steve might not realize that I was a good resource to call when we’re talking about millions of people, Natasha would know better. But maybe, they were just distracted, right? Maybe they just didn’t have time to stop and think. Hell, maybe they thought I was Hydra, though I have to admit that thought stung a bit. But… They wouldn’t let three helicarriers crash in the middle of Washington DC with all those civilians around, all those actually loyal SHIELD agents onboard. They wouldn’t drop SHIELD files online and expose hundreds of undercover SHIELD agents to hostiles; they wouldn’t do those things when they knew they could have just called me and I could have dealt with it without casualties. I mean, code is what I do. I designed the helicarriers and the operating systems. I could have kept them grounded and inoperable with a few keystrokes. They wouldn’t do all of that just to keep me out of the loop, right?" 

"Jesus." Barton breathed, his eyes wide with shock. He glared at Romanoff. "You left Stark out of the loop on purpose? You told me he was unavailable. Why?" 

"So, yeah, Insight, accidental, oops, all forgiven. Then Ultron, and bringing Wanda into the Avengers despite meaning giving up Bruce, despite meaning giving up me. Because pushing me out had already started before then, hadn’t it, Steve?" He didn’t wait for an answer. "Because Wanda knew mind magic, and you might be needing mind magic. And you, you’re the man with the plan…" 

"You kept Tony out of the loop with Insight because you couldn't let him know what you'd learned about the Winter Soldier. You pushed Tony away before Ultron because you didn't want him to be hearing anything about you looking for Bucky; and after Ultron because you figured you'd need Wanda's powers to help Bucky and again Tony couldn't know about him. With Tony distanced from the Avengers personally, you had access to all of the resources and the money that he allocated for the team. You could divert those resources to your personal search. You used the Avengers to look for your old buddy, and you pretended that it was for security threats. Threats like what went down in Lagos. Where you weren’t hunting bioweapons at all. You were hunting Bucky. You wrapped it all in the Avengers name and shoved Tony so far away he’d never think to look at what you were doing. With Tony out of the picture," Carol hadn’t thought Rhodes’s voice could get more bitter, but it did. "But still picking up the cheque – who would ever think to question Captain America about where he was going or what he was spending or why?" 

"I don’t understand," Wilson was starting to look sick. 

"And then the Accords came up. Suddenly, someone was going to be looking. Someone was going to be asking ‘where’ or ‘why’ or ‘how much’. Someone was going to be checking your work. No wonder you said no so goddamned fast. To you, the Accords didn’t mean accountability. They meant _exposure_." Rhodes was on a roll. "They meant that Tony was going to find out, and you didn’t have Bucky back yet." 

"Tony was going to find out what?" Maximoff demanded. The others started to ask questions, talking over each other. 

"You know, in my whole life, I have only ever completely, unconditionally trusted two people." Tony said, making the others subside into silence. "They’re both dead." He lifted his eyes to meet Rogers’s. "You used to be on that list. And, you know, I could have forgiven that. I could forgive the lies, and the fraud, and the silence. I could forgive the pushing me away, and bringing in Wanda, though sacrificing Bruce to do it, that would take some effort. I could have forgiven the way you betrayed my friendship for all of these years, because I get it. I get that Bucky’s your best friend, and he was in the wind, and you needed to find him. That you couldn’t trust how I might react when I found out. I get that we were never friends, that I was a means to an end for you. It’s not the first time that’s been the case, and I can roll with it. You never met my mother, so I wouldn’t expect you to have any connection to her." 

Wilson sucked in a startled breath. Rogers’s face remained stoic, but his eyes hurt Carol to look at. Rhodes was almost purple with fury. 

"My father, though." Tony shook his head with a rueful smile. "My dad _loved you_. The fact that you went into the ice? It broke something in him. He spent the rest of his life searching for you. He spent millions of dollars and literal decades of his time looking for the Valkyrie. He created technology for the sole purpose of being able to find you faster, in new ways. He spent hours every day talking about you to anyone who would listen and anyone who wouldn’t. I think you and Aunt Peggy were the only people he ever considered true friends." He took a deep breath. Everyone else seemed to be holding theirs, spellbound. "And the thing that I cannot – _will not_ forgive is that you watched the Winter Soldier crush his skull with his bare hands and didn’t even bat an eye." 

The room was dead silent. Carol thought she might be sick. 

T’Challa placed his hands very carefully on the tabletop. "What?" 

"The Winter Soldier may not have killed your father," Tony replied acidly without looking away from Rogers’s frozen expression. "But he did kill mine. I can’t say how much I appreciate you granting him asylum." 

"Steve?" Barton sounded devastated. 

"I knew too," Romanoff said softly. 

"It’s not the same," Rhodes scoffed. "Tony never trusted you." 

"Steve," Barton said again, more insistently. 

"It wasn’t Bucky," Rogers finally replied stonily. "It wasn’t his fault." 

Carol found her voice. "But you knew. You knew, and you didn’t just keep it to yourself. You actively worked to both separate yourself from Tony personally and hold him close professionally to gain access to his money and resources. You let thousands of people die rather than take the chance of him finding out about this in Washington. You brought in a known Hydra agent and pushed out an ally because you knew that your friend was in a poor mental state and might be able to use magical intervention. You went through millions of dollars of Tony’s money on fake Avengers business to chase this guy around the world. You refused the Accords out of hand, and used your influence on your team members to have them reject them too – without even reading them – so that you wouldn’t get caught committing fraud." 

"What happened in Siberia, Steve?" Wilson asked quietly. 

"Tony came to help because he didn’t want me to have to face five Winter Soldiers alone," Rogers said flatly. "The other Winter Soldiers were already dead, and Zemo was in a booth. He played a video of the murder of the Starks. By _Hydra_ ," he added quickly. "Tony punched me, and Bucky raised his gun, and then we were fighting. I just wanted Tony to _stop_ , so that we could get away. But he wouldn’t stop. Until I stopped him. I used the shield to break the arc reactor to power down the suit." 

T’Challa’s fingernails were digging into the tabletop, gouging the wood inlay. "When we left the bunker, Steven, we took both of the planes." 

Rogers nodded and Carol felt her stomach turn over again. 

The expression in T’Challa’s eyes was terrible. "If the suit had no power, how did you imagine that Tony was going to get home?" 

"I figured he would get a signal out," Rogers replied, frowning. "Or someone would be looking." 

"He came in secret because his presence was illegal and because his silence was ensuring your safety, which he held to be paramount." T’Challa’s voice was getting louder. "No one would be looking. If they were, they would be looking elsewhere. You took a terrible risk with the life of a man who went there to _help_ you." 

"I did manage to make contact eventually." Tony tapped T’Challa’s ankle with his foot. "It worked out. Stand down." 

Rhodes scrubbed his hands over his face. "Worked out," he muttered. "Is that what you call the new reactor in your chest? Is that what you call spending a month…" 

"Rhodey." Tony cut him off with a sharp shake of his head. 

"We left you there." T’Challa bowed his head. "I had no idea that your suit was compromised. I apologize wholeheartedly for not checking before I left, Doctor Stark." 

"Just Tony," Tony reminded him. "And don’t be getting all, I dunno, verklempt about that fight. I was a full participant – hell, I threw the first punch – and I wasn’t pulling my punches very much. Barnes just wanted to protect Steve and then get away. Me? I wanted to take him down." His lips twisted. "I wanted it to _hurt_. " 

"It did," Rogers said softly, not looking at him. 

"Not enough," Tony replied bitterly. "But I guess none of us are good at knowing when to stop." 

"This is all too much." Lang jumped to his feet. "I don’t even know where to begin to start to process everything I’ve heard in the past hour. I’m just… I’m gonna go think. For a while." He glanced over at Tony before hurriedly looking away. "How long do I have to consider?" 

"We’ll need answers tomorrow." 

Lang left, the door closing quietly behind him. 

T"Challa gave a low, pained sound in the back of his throat. "Doc… Tony," he amended when Tony glanced at him. "Do you wish for me to hand over Sergeant Barnes to your custody?" 

Rogers jolted to his feet again. "No!" Quickly, Romanoff placed a hand on his arm. He shook her off. 

T’Challa ignored him. "I promised him safe haven, but I find myself… uncomfortable with the hypocrisy of shielding him from the crimes he did commit simply because he did not commit the one I originally believed him guilty of." 

"It wasn’t Bucky who committed those crimes," Rogers shouted. "I keep telling you it was Hydra who forced him to do those things." 

"Mr Rogers," Carol heard the exhaustion in her voice and didn’t even try to hide it. "’I was just following orders’ hasn’t been accepted as a defence since the forties. Every person, soldier or not, is required to also apply their conscience to their actions or be held accountable for them. You aren’t doing your friend any favours by declaring his innocence the way you do." She held up a hand when he would have said more. "I’m not saying he wasn’t coerced, that he had any options in the matter, that he was ultimately to blame or even that he was aware of what he was doing, but whether or not he’s held responsible for those actions is up to a court of law, not to you." 

"And it wasn’t Hydra in Bucharest or Leipzig, or Siberia." Rhodes stated firmly. "That was just Barnes." 

"Barnes wasn’t the only person making mistakes in Bucharest and Leipzig and Siberia," Romanoff said. "We all messed up." Barton nodded, though he seemed unconvinced. 

Wilson spoke up. "And we’re all facing the consequences of that, aren’t we, Nat? We committed crimes and we have to face the charges that come from that." He shook his head in frustration. "No one is saying that Barnes is the only one who was violent in Bucharest or Leipzig, or Siberia – just that he was violent. _He_ was violent. Not Hydra. Just him." 

"He was forced into that violence by those chasing him." Maximoff said, chin set stubbornly. "As we all were. If you had just let us all go, there would have been no need for any violence at all." 

Carol stared at her in outright disbelief. "You have learned absolutely nothing, have you?" 

Rogers looked as though he was ready to actually tear his hair out. "I’m the only one who actually knows Bucky," he stated hotly, "and I am telling you that he is not capable of cold-bloodedly murdering people." 

"Really?" Rhodes asked, pursing his lips in pretended confusion. "I seem to remember reading his service record, Rogers, and I’m pretty sure that he had a very impressive kill count as a part of the 107th; even before joining the Commandos, where I’m again pretty sure he more than doubled it." 

"That was war! You can’t seriously…" 

"No," Rhodes interrupted him. "I don’t hold those shots against him, of course not. I’m just pointing out that saying that Barnes is incapable of killing someone in cold blood is at best revisionist history. He was capable of it seventy years ago when you actually did know him well – he was doing it every day after all - and I am sure he’s still capable of it now that he’s spent seventy years submerged in nothing but torture and violence and death." 

The glare Rogers turned on him could have melted lead. Looking at it, Carol was absolutely certain that Barnes wasn’t the only one capable of murder with the right impetus. Rhodes, of course, was impervious and met the look with bitter equanimity. 

Tony drummed his fingers against his chest. "No," he said to T’Challa slowly. "Barnes has his own options just like everyone else here. He gets to decide his path forward. I think he’s been fucked with enough already; regardless of what he’s done he doesn’t deserve to wake up and discover he’s been handed over while vulnerable." 

T’Challa nodded and some of the tension bled out of his shoulders. "I will arrange for him to be awakened so that he may speak with you." 

"With us," Rogers said, voice dangerously low. 

"No," Tony contradicted bluntly. "I said he had the same options as everyone else and I meant it. That means that T’Challa wakes him up and _asks him_ if he wants to hear his situation out alone or in a group. Then we do what he wants." 

"What if I decide that we’re not going to wake him up?" Rogers crossed his arms and lifted his chin. 

"That’s not up to you, Steve." It came out wearily; even Tony’s indefatigable energy seemed to be flagging. 

"He’s my best friend." 

"But you aren’t his parent, or his child, or his brother, and unless he signed some papers before he went back into cryo, you also aren’t his medical proxy. That means that, no matter how much you love him – and believe me Steve, I get that you love him more than anything in the world - legally _it is not up to you_. " Tony turned to T’Challa, who looked very uncomfortable. "Did Barnes give Steve any rights over him?" 

T’Challa squared his shoulders. "Doct… Tony is correct. Mr Barnes did not delegate any authority to Steve before he went into cryo." 

Rhodes made a ‘there you have it’ gesture. "Then it’s your call, King T’Challa." 

Rogers looked over at the king expectantly. T’Challa sighed. "While I see no harm in including Steve in the discussion from the beginning, I also see no reason to not simply ask Mr Barnes his preference upon waking, once I am certain he is fully aware. I do see the benefit of extending to Mr Barnes the opportunity to make his decisions himself, without… influences." He nodded sharply. "My people will wake Mr Barnes and offer him the choice of companions." 

Rogers growled under his breath, a vein bulging in his forehead. The muscles all along his forearms tightened and he seemed on the edge of snapping. 

"Perhaps I might interject." Professor Xavier spoke up, reminding them all of his presence. He pressed the little joystick on his armrest and his chair slid smoothly forward to join them. His eyes were on Rogers, compassion filling them. "Mr Rogers… May I call you Steve?" At Rogers’s jerky nod he continued in a calm soothing voice. "I can sense your turmoil and your frustration, and I sympathize deeply with your situation. Your world changed so completely and so abruptly, in such a short amount of time, and you had no control over those changes. And then it happened again, when you were awakened from the ice. All you knew, gone, your whole universe made different overnight, and once again you had no ability to affect that change. It had already occurred. It must have been so difficult for you." 

Rogers’s eyes closed and the tension in his hands eased ever so slightly. 

"And now it feels as though it is happening again. The things that you wish to control are being stripped from you and you are being told ‘no’, and ‘it is not up to you’, and it is so … enraging, isn’t it? That you care for so little but the little that you care about is happening beyond your control." 

Rogers nodded, face anguished. Carol felt a curl of sympathy for him and kind of hated Xavier in that moment for making her feel it. From the expression on Rhodes’s face he felt the same way. Tony's face remained hard and still, showing nothing. 

"I understand. And I have some advice for you, which I sincerely hope you are able to take to heart. Steve, you are fighting the wrong battles in this particular war. You are fighting battles which you will not win; not necessarily because of right or wrong but because you are attempting to climb a tree made of water with ropes and an axe when you would do much better to simply learn to swim. The world that surrounds you is one where you can affect the course of your future, but only if you learn how to navigate its complexities as they exist _now_ , not as they were then." 

Barton blinked. "That's weird," he said. "Weird, and kinda bizarre, but beautiful." 

Carol found herself agreeing. 

Rogers took a deep breath. "Ok." He let it out slowly. "Thank you, Professor, for the advice." He opened his eyes and nodded at Tony, visibly steeling himself. "All right, Tony. Let me have it." 

Tony frowned. 

"My ‘situation’. We heard about everyone else. It’s my turn, right?" 

Tony squared his shoulders and met Rogers’s eyes directly. "Mr Rogers. You have charges pending in Bucharest for obstruction of police, aiding a fugitive, destruction of property, battery, escape from custody, and flight from prosecution. In Germany, you’re facing destruction of property, flight from prosecution, grand larceny, and aiding terrorist activities, attempted murder and in both countries illegal entry. There’s no proof that you staged the breakout on the Raft, so no charges for you there. You’re also clear in the US. The President has… proactively provided a Presidential pardon for any actions undertaken on US soil that could be considered as criminal, including the fraud and embezzlement against SI in general and me personally. There is also no proof of your presence in Siberia, so you have no charges pending there." Tony’s fingers tapped against his chest again. "The UN considers you a top candidate for the Avengers, and is very interested in having you rejoin. The President has gone to bat for you with Europe, and Germany and Bucharest have agreed to drop all charges against you if you sign the Accords. You would be allowed to move unrestrictedly, as long as you observed the rules governing the Accords and the Avengers." 

Rogers looked at him in outright disbelief. "So – if I sign, I’m clear?" 

Tony looked as though he was gritting his teeth but nodded shortly at Rogers. "If you sign, you’re clear." 

Rogers shook his head. "That seems unfair." 

"Oh, it’s unfair." Rhodes agreed bitterly. "It is so fucking unfair that Pepper is considering withdrawing SI from the US entirely in protest." 

"Tony…" Rogers shook his head again. 

"Don’t." Tony stood up and gathered up the suitcase armour and case of vibranium from under the desk, setting them on top. "Like I said, I don’t actually care about the money. I would have offered, if you’d asked. And lying to me for years wasn’t actually illegal. Believe me, I double checked. I'll warn you to stay far away from Pepper, though. She cares about the money, and the lying, and... well. She cares very very much. Avoidance of Pepper is key to survival." 

"But what about the others? It’s not right that they’re going to be punished and I’m not." 

"No," Tony said savagely, "It’s not right. And don’t get me wrong – I mean that you should be punished, not that they shouldn’t be. And I know you want to make it so that everyone gets off without a scratch, but that’s not going to happen right now, because a lot of people are really pissed off. And if you want that to change and have the possibility of making it stick instead of making it worse, you’re going to have to do it from the inside." 

"Where is Stark’s punishment for his errors?" Maximoff demanded. "It was not only we who broke laws." 

"We were acting within the law, actually," Rhodes reminded her with a glare. "And the time that Tony didn’t – No, Tony, don’t try and shush me this time, they should know this," he batted down Tony’s waving hand and furious attempts to interrupt, " – Was when he went to Siberia on the down low to help Rogers here. Who left him there disabled and bleeding with his chest half-caved in. He got a message out? Sure. Sure he did. But first he rigged a goddamned harness and he fucking walked out. He dragged - Tony if you don't stop hitting me I'mma put on the suit and kick your ass -" Tony subsided with a groan, crossing his arms across the tabletop and burying his face in them. " - _Dragged_ the armour to the nearest village, where he _turned himself in_ to the Russian police for illegal entry to the country. And _then_ he got to wait in jail for four days while the Russian authorities decided whether or not to charge him for the murder of the five dead Winter Soldiers that the intrepid three new best friends left him with." T’Challa looked horrified all over again, Carol noted. Rogers had put back on that stoic face that she was starting to hate, the one that screamed ‘I did everything right’. Rhodes got louder. " _Then_ he got to send a message and get medical assistance, which included surgery for a broken sternum that had started to heal wrong and a new goddamned arc reactor to keep his heart beating." Rhodes looked like he was about to start throwing things. Carol edged back from him a little to avoid the wide angry gesticulating. "And _then_ he spent a month in a Russian prison for that pesky illegal entry thing." He poked Tony in the shoulder, hard. "I'm done. You can get up now." 

Tony sat back in his chair, one hand over his eyes and the other scrubbing across his mouth tiredly. 

"He could have bought himself out of that in a heartbeat," Barton scoffed weakly. 

"He could have," Rhodes agreed bitterly. "The point is, _he didn’t_." 

"And _that_ is why the UN requested that Tony be the one to talk to you all today," Carol stood up. "Because Tony understands the relationship between necessity and accountability. Which you clearly still do not," this last was directed at Rogers, "so let me spell it out for you. Necessity is doing what you have to even when it’s hard, even when it means breaking the law. Accountability is standing up afterwards and admitting where you went wrong, and taking the punishments for those decisions no matter what that means." 

The room was loud with the silence that fell over all of them. 

"Well!" Tony tapped a quick tattoo against his chest and then clapped his hands loudly, jumping to his feet and tugging his suit jacket back into place with quick, unhappy movements. "This has been no fun at all. Let’s never do this again." He was carefully not looking at any of them and so missed the way that Barton raised his hand slightly as if to reach out, how Romanoff half-rose from her chair. It also meant he missed the hot glare that Maximoff was directing at him and the way that Wilson was resolutely looking away, so Carol called it a draw. Rhodes also stood in a soft whir of hydraulics. "You have until tomorrow, six pm local time to make your decisions." 

"Tony - If I sign, do you think the Accords council would be interested if I proposed a use for the enhanced ground fighters?" Rogers’s eyes were calculating as he completely ignored the revelations of the last five minutes, and Carol decided that Maximoff wasn’t the only one who had learned absolutely nothing although Tony seemed relieved to leave the subject so decisively. "Something like… a covert strike team? That could be used to penetrate and disable the big ships?" 

"If you sign the Accords, you can make any suggestions you want to the Avengers leadership," Tony replied brusquely. "Carol might listen or she might not. It’s entirely up to her." 

Rogers turned his attention to her. "I listen to any good ideas my team brings me," she said with a razor-sharp smile. "But I’m making you no promises. Even if you sign, it will take you some work for me to consider you part of my team. If you sign, you sign because it’s the right thing to do, not because you think it’s a guarantee of some mini-fiefdom for you to rule." She leaned forward so that she was right in his face. "And don’t think that oversight is something that happens to other people, either. After what we learned today, you’ll be under extra scrutiny. We need all eyes on the goal, not diverting resources for private agendas." 

Rogers tilted his head and gave her a beatific, ‘fuck you’ smile back. "I already found Bucky and brought him home," he said softly, a thread of smugness in his voice. "I don’t have any other private agendas." 

Any sympathy she'd felt for him during the Professor's monologue evaporated like mist. Carol wanted to punch him so badly that her hands actually ached with it. A metallic click and the rasp of metal against metal broke their staring contest and they both turned to see the suitcase armour curling back in on itself from where it had apparently partially unfolded. Tony was flexing his hands as if they hurt. Rhodes was gripping his shoulder hard. "Nevermind," Tony muttered, "muscle cramp." Barton had covered his eyes again. Maximoff was smiling unpleasantly. T’Challa was staring disapprovingly at both her and Rogers. 

Romanoff was simply shaking her head. "Steve." 

Rogers had the grace to look abashed. "I apologize," he said to Carol, face flushing pink with embarrassment. "I don’t know why I said that." 

"Tomorrow, six pm," Tony said again, sliding his sunglasses onto his face and picking up the cases from the desk. "I wish I could say this is the last chance you have, but fucked if I know. I will tell you that I won’t be back." Professor Xavier slid his wheelchair back from the table to give him room to leave. "I’ll be busy." He headed for the door and paused just before he exited, turning just slightly to give them a sliver of his profile. "I don’t care what way you go, Steve, but if you won’t listen to me or to anyone else, at least listen to Charles. For fuck’s sake - learn how to swim." 

Professor Xavier and T’Challa followed Tony out, with Carol close on their heels. Just before the door closed behind her, she heard Rhodey’s coldly amused voice ring out. 

“So, just out of curiosity – which of you guys still feels like you’re with Steve? Cause I have to say the circumstances look pretty different to me.” 

\- 30 -

**Author's Note:**

> Civil War made me (still makes me) really, really salty. This ended up quite a bit (read - a lot) more balanced than I would be, but Tony’s a more forgiving sort than I am it seems.
> 
> Jul17'18 - ETA: I see that the Team Cap fans have found the story. I'm a little sad that there are folks who don't want to comment as themselves or anonymously rather than using the IDs of other AO3 users. I actually have no issues with folks who want to contradict my view of things as long as it's done respectfully, and I don't think that pretending to be other people qualifies as that. So, shame on you, fake poster! Have the courage to actually own your own opinions.  
> ETA2; While I hate limiting who can post comments, I am irritated more by a person (or people) pretending to be someone else for the purposes of spreading false information more and so I have turned off anonymous comments. To all the folks who don't have AO3 accounts, I'm sorry. :( To the poster who doesn't believe in their own opinion enough to provide their own unique made up identity to say it, shame on you. You are why anons can't have nice things.


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